Marina Hipsters

summersalt music fest

2010-10-04T19:06:00.000-07:00

ayo. we're back and at it again.

this time, we are hyping up an event that needs no hype. if you're not down with live music and air shows, let alone an event that combines the two, you should probably move to some remote cave in afghanistan because you need to re-evaluate life.

summersalt is a brand new music festival at fort mason taking place this saturday as the planes fly over the bay just feet away. the lineup includes zion i, the cataracts, butterfly bones and an act we caught a couple months ago at cafe du norde - k.flay - who opened for those norweigan electro-poppers casiokids and was a huge, pleasant surprise. check out her flow here:

and being as fresh as we are, the good people behind summersalt (check out all the details here) have given us ten (yes, 10) tickets to give away to our hip friends. so if you want to get down at summersalt, send us an email to marinahipsters[at]gmail[dot]com and suggest a band we should check out. any band, except for kings of leon, of course. we'll choose 10 entries out of a hat on thursday.

make the girl dance

2010-09-12T20:25:00.001-07:00

figured i could bring you something pretty badass as well...

MAKE THE GIRL DANCE [KILL ME] (official video)

I am BACK!!

2010-09-11T12:11:00.000-07:00

After going MIA I thought I'd bring you a glimpse into what I've been obsessing over for the past month. Enjoy!

Boys Noize - Yeah

Miami Horror - Holidays

Ra Ra Riot - Too Dramatic

Holy Ghost! - I Will Come Back

Grum - Fashion

Tanlines - Real People

Restless People - Days of our Lives

Jamaica - Short and Entertaining

fol chen

2010-07-26T22:23:00.000-07:00

i'm still all geeked up about j.monae's performance in san francisco this weekend. if you get a chance to see her live you must not miss out. chick is talented.

take a spin with fol chen. the mysterious california six-some has a new album and 'in ruins' is a catchy little single. just don't let the first five seconds scare you...its much more poppy and a lot less marilyn manson then they first suggest. i've also added the song 'cable tv' which was a standout from their debut album in 2009, for those of you just meeting fol chen, you might want to start here - a super sugary pop song about blowing one's paycheck on a one night love affair at a motel...with a hot tub and a...well, a cable tv. baller.

ticket giveaway: all shook down

2010-07-21T20:07:00.000-07:00

lady and gentleman, we are back in business. and not only are we back, we are packing some serious heat. our friends at eye heart sf and SFweekly have put together a pretty nice little music festival set for this sunday in north beach, and threw us four tickets to give away to thank us for our...well...we're not sure. but our luck is your gain, as we already bought tickets when the festival was announced. sooooo, who wants some free shit?

the festival is killer and features some of the bay area's best local talent as well as two HUGE up and comers in janelle monae and neon indian. it takes place at various venues in north beach all within about two blocks of grant & green, the bar and the intersection. beers, pizza, music, sunshine (hopefully) and live music. just don't call it a 'sunday funday.' that's lame.

what's not lame is j.monae's impressive soul pop tunes/dance move combo and neon indian's chillwave electronic jams. trust us and spend your sunday in north beach. while you're there we also reccomend ghosts on tape, a, b & the sea (if only because their poppy band reminded us of zack morris and the zack attack when we saw them at bimbos earlier this year) and a local up and coming band we recently heard on npr, sonny and the sunsets.

here's the deal: we'll give out 2 sets of 2 tickets. that way when you win you can finally ask out that preppy triage consultant you've been checking out on the 30x every day, but are afraid to talk to. wuss.

check out janelle monae and neon indian below and practice your dance moves. seriously, j.monae can move. female michael jackson? it's been said...

to enter our little giveaway, send us an email at marinahipsters@gmail.com by 5pm on friday july 23 with your name and a picture. ok, just kidding, just your name. or a picture. or a funny joke. whatever, we don't care as long as you make the subject of the email 'ticket giveaway' so we can seperate your entry from the fan mail we write ourselves.

we'll draw 2 email addresses out of a hat and if you win, we'll email you back at 5:01pm friday afternoon. and if you don't score the tix, buy one less strawberry fields at the tipsy pig on friday night so you can afford the $14 ticket available here. its an incredible deal. and even better, if you enter the discount code 'EyeHeartSF' you will receive $5 off! (offer good until midnight friday). so this, right thurr, practically makes the tickets free in any event...see you sunday.

Sunday Sunday

2010-05-02T18:37:00.000-07:00

From Darkness's false promise's of Sunday playlists, I thought I should start pulling my weight. Bringing you some groovy Duck Sauce, my new obsession -- Dragonette, The new Ratatat, and to finish it off a little R.E.M. with the greatest breakdown i've heard in awhile.

Sunday Sunday by YoungOne

coachella wrap up

2010-04-22T20:41:00.000-07:00

i want a re-up of coachlla 2010, stringer bell style. it was easily one of the best weekends of recent memory. perfect desert weather (high 80's - low 90's) set the stage for a great weekend of live music with friends and 75,000 new festival goer friends. and i really say that seriously. despite a few minor incidents of rude spectators pushing their way through crowds, i couldn't have asked for a more pleasant experience with so many people i have never met. when your biggest complaint about the festival itself (aside from missing yeasayer and sleigh bells friday afternoon due to traffic issues) is missing one show because you were getting down at another...you know you had a blast.

so i have a few comments about the festival like how big of a mistake it was scheduling passion pit, mgmt, miike snow, and phoenix among others on the smaller outdoor stage was severely underestimating the new music scene...but alas, i just wanted to share a few of my highlights.

friday: fever ray, deadmau5, vampire weekend.
friday night proved to be the toughest decision making night for me, in terms of who to watch. But it all worked out pretty well. After a solid performance from la roux I arrived early and got a prime spot for a surprisingly strong vampire weekend show. Although VW is one of my favorite bands i wasn't expecting much from the east coast preppy kids. but ezra koenig is a fucking superstar and delivered what my buddy Mike refereed to as a "flawless performance." the stage was bad ass - with a half dozen chandeliers hanging from the rafters and neon strobe's flashing in the background and ezra really brought the energy. he's one of the best front men in today's current rock and roll scene, in my opinion, with his combination of both musical and vocal talent, even if he is a little poppy and boring for some. for the nightcap i started by worshiping (literally, it was a spiritual experience) fever ray for 45-minutes and after i had enough of the cult-like lasers, fog, costumes and antique lamp filled stage, i went over to get loose with deadmau5 in the sahara tent. deadmau5 put on a show from a led lit platform high above the crowd with led screens and lights all around him, including on his mau5 head. his show is still giving me goosebumps as i watch the video below over and over - be sure to watch in hd. from there we made a quick pit stop for a couple whitest boy alive songs (their second ever performance in the states), then showing up at jay-z just in time to catch a few of his classics (big pimpin, hard knock life) and a beyonce sighting to end the night. fever ray was a must see for me, given my love for the knife and i felt that this was a chance i'd likely never get again. while jay-z and deadmau5 tour the u.s. seemingly non stop, catching fever ray was crucial.

saturday: hot chip, edward sharpe and the magnetic zeros, the xx.

saturday was probably the anti-friday night. for i had already caught the xx and ed sharpe at small venues (and much like passion pit, knew they couldn't live up to it in a festival setting) but both acts came strong (as opposed to passion pit's stinker friday night). i spent a nice evening with david guetta in the sahara tent and decided to skip tiesto and muse on the main stage in favor of another unique act - south africa's die antwoord, before finishing the night with 2manydj's in the sahara tent. a late addition to the festival, d.a. brought the heat in an emotional performance which clearly meant so much to the duo who literally came out of nowhere thanks to a viral youtube video. but the standout of the day for me was hot chip. alexis taylor busted out the burnt orange pants and rocked the crowd at the outdoor stage with a nice mix of old and new. my personal highlight was 'over and over' as seen below:

sunday: club 75, florence and the machine
the five parisians in all white on the 'wheels of steels' (as explained in european accented broken english by 'busy mothafuckin p') stole the day for me sunday. florence and the machine kicked off the day pefectly with her powerfully soothing voice and quirky perfonality. and after club 75 i was treated to an stellar miike snow performance from which i curled out of early (before they littered the crowd with beach balls and their jam 'animal') to catch phoenix, along with 95% of the festival patrons. but club 75 was the highlight, and what a perfect way to end my festival than with another 'unique' experience which may seemingly only happen at coachella. and if you were at the festival and had a memorable experience, please share it in the comments section.

Jonsi

2010-04-11T12:44:00.000-07:00

Jonsi - the man behind Sigur Ros has stepped out on a solo project. The album "Go" which was just released is a nice transition from what everyone knows Sigur Ros as and it's in English. It's definitely more uplifting than his old stuff and I think the first single Go Do is really pretty and euphoric. Check him out at Coachella if you have a chance and definitely listen to his single below.

sleigh bells

2010-04-07T23:55:00.001-07:00

if you're going to coachella, and don't know sleigh bells. get to know them. now.

and if you're not going to coachella, catch them on tour opening for yeasayer. it blows my mind that you can see these two, at one small venue, for $25. and to think people pay $80 to see kenny chesney from nosebleads at oracle arena. is that even fun? sleigh bells + yeasayer = www.mindblown/guaranteed.

look, they don't even have an album out. they released some tracks online in 2009 and became the biggest hit at SXSW this past month. 'ring ring' is the finest, most completely beautiful tune i've heard all year. its PHENOMENAL.

and yeasayer, the biggest breakout act of 2010 heard their stuff and said, 'hey, these two are legit, lets take them on tour with us.' what more do you need?

so the bass is is a little strong on 'crown on the ground' but its clearly some shitty garage recording. no album yet, remember. look, if you listen to enough music you can tell they are legit. and if you blow them off, you're not very smart.

hey sleigh bells - see you at coachella. can't wait.

Sleigh Bells - Ring Ring

Sleigh Bells - Crown On The Ground

BRAHMS

2010-04-02T10:25:00.000-07:00

meet the BRAHMS. they have four songs which you can download by joining their mailing list on their website but that's about it. so start there and jump on the bandwagon, and hope for some more of he same. i've listened to the four-pack every day for two weeks now and am giddy at their potential.

i dig their sound, very much synthed out 80's depeche mode meets 90's garage rock, with a little bit of the xx sprinkled over it. i expect these guys, like two door cinema club and mumford & sons, to go from relatively unknown to a pretty big deal in 2010.

have a listen and keep on the lookout.

janelle monae: tightrope

2010-03-31T20:51:00.000-07:00

janelle monae is a captivating figure. she has moves like m.j. and a soulful voice like ella fitzgerald. if only ella could flow like andre3000...in fact janelle might be the female version of the taller, goofier member of outkast because hot damn is she a snazzy dresser.

this is her new single 'tightrope' and is consistent with everything else she's put out both visually and vocally. if you're feeling this go pull up some of her youtube videos. you'll be entertained for hours.

Neon Trees

2010-03-31T18:20:00.000-07:00

Verdicts still out on these guys/gal from Provo, Utah (Mormon Country). Have a listen and let me know, but in my book any song with handclaps is good enough for me.

soundtrack 2 my life

2010-03-30T07:22:00.000-07:00

kid cudi's man on the moon: the end of day was hands down one of the best albums of 2009. 'soundtrack 2 my life,' one of the standout jams on the album, was easily the most gripping for me as it exposed a vulnerable side of scott mescudi - the man you know better as kid cudi. and now that track has a video.

the 'kid named cudi' was discovered by kanye west in 2008 after the release of his first mixtape. he was spitting fire on kanye's 808's and heartbreak long before his mellow voice and fresh flow heard in 'day n nite' was turned into a 2009 night club staple by the dj duo the crookers. and if you're reading this blog, i know you probably already listen to cudi, as you should. but i'm posting about scotty today because of the recent release of the video to 'soundtrack 2 my life' which i really love.

the video follows cudi in everyday facets of his life, and provides an equally exposing, although exact opposite visual to fit the lyrics he dropped on the 2009 album. what i mean by this is that the introspective track has always been powerful and exposing - 'i have some issues that nobody can see, and all of these emotions come pouring out of me' (not to mention relatable. who doesn't?) while at the same time maintaining that fun loving personality mescudi possesses - 'i got 99 problems, and they all bitches, wish i was jigga man, carefree livin.' (a line which i later realized references jay-z's relationship with beyonce and foreshadows to the way cudi will end the song) and this video magnifies the serious yet silly nature of mescudi. it is shot as a behind the scenes look into the man scott is in the same way the song is a behind the scene look into what has made him who he is. it is astonishingly powerful, really, as despite the serious nature of some of the lyrics which touch on intense topics such as his father's death, the video exposes cudi as a huge goofball.

and i guess that's what really touches me about cudi; his ability to be cognizant of all his emotions - from love and pride to pain and joy as expressed through his lyrics, while maintaining a fun loving and goofy personality. its extremely admirable, and maybe easy for him given the fame he has amassed and the confidence which surely comes with it...but it doesn't come across that way. the juxtaposition of vulnerable lyrics and goofball antics works beautifully in a way which leaves the viewer wanting to be best buds with scott. who wouldn't want to be down with someone who can spend three plus minutes exposing himself, his upbringing, his conquests and his struggles while at the same time playing with light sabres and robot dancing in an astronaut suit. its an astounding illustration of an ability to deal with life and still live it to the fullest.

the culmination of this nearly four minute video journey might in fact be the most powerful. for in a verse, the third, which traverses drug use and suicide, critics and groupies, scott mescudi tells us his life is a journey just like ours. sure his may consist of sold out arenas and thousands of adoring women, but there are still missing elements. there is sill a desire for substance and true happiness.

'hope i really get to see thirty, wanna settle down stop bein so flirty....never truly satisfied, I am happy - that's just the saddest lie.'

thisoneisforlovers

2010-03-29T20:24:00.000-07:00

music is a lot of things. it can wake me up or put me to sleep. it can energize me and make me want to dance. it can make me cry. i listen to all kinds of music for all different kinds of reasons.

this week's playlist is for lovers. or nostalgic hopeless romantics. or emo's. or teenage girls...whatever you are, if you're a sucker for lyrics or if you just need some music to set the mood next time you pop a bottle of red wine with your baby dip, this playlist is for you.

thisoneisforlovers by wcgrimes

do you like bass?

2010-03-21T16:02:00.000-07:00

sienna likes bass.

sunday is a good playlist day, according to the hipster. so we're going to make it our mission to bring you a new playlist every sunday. based on the feedback we've gotten so far, ya'll like the playlists and have been downloading the music. we're stoked on this.

it's warming up in california. the sun's out, and its that time of year where i start dreaming of day parties, dance parties, trips to the beach, cruising in a boat on a lake...all the good stuff that goes along with summertime. and for me, that means the music picks up in tempo.

this playlist is chalk full of jams with big pounding bass and catchy hooks. songs that will get you moving and be singing along to. so today's playlist goes out to summertime. throw some of these tracks on your newest playlist and warm up the vibes.

and props to liss @ SoNotImpressedLA for the classixx jam. we're impressed.

do you like bass by wcgrimes

Packing Playlist

2010-03-16T17:29:00.000-07:00

So you may or may not have heard but MH is going bi-coastal... Yup I'm making the jump to NYC come beginning of April and needed to put together a little packing playlist to get me through this stress. It's been a crazy 2010 so far, exploring/working in Europe for 2 months and now this, hope you enjoy as it was my first time fooling around with Soundcloud... Back to work

Packing Playlist by YoungOne

two door cinema club: tourist history

2010-03-14T20:27:00.000-07:00

i suppose it's only appropriate that we kick off st. patty's week with an entry from ireland. and before i go any further, props to young c. for the discovery and the initial posting on this blog a couple weeks back. for it was on his recommendation that i started listening to two door cinema club...and i literally have not been able to stop listening ever since.

the whole ireland/st. patty's connection is purely a coincidence, as i would be blogging these boys today regardless. i have yet to be as stoked about a debut album since vampire weekend burst onto the scene in 2008 with their poppy debut. and i suppose vampire weekend is a great place to start when drawing comparisons. they don't necessarily make the same music (think vampire weekend meets friendly fires) but they have a very similar fun-loving quality. the melodic vocals and pulsing instrumentation. the hand claps and silly chorus lines. the infectious rhythm. its music that gets your blood flowing to your happy parts. its fun. it's what pop music should be. fuck that owl city ben gibbard rip off shit.

two door cinema club is three school aged boys from ireland who are quickly becoming an overnight sensation. a 2007 myspace page adored by peers led to a january 2009 lp adored by bloggers (not to mention labels - the band is signed to the phenomenal french record label kitsune) and i will go so far as to give their 2010 album tourist history a double stamp guarantee (not sure what a that is, as i just made it up) to absolutely blow TDCC up to the adoring masses. we are weeks, if not days away from hearing TDCC on gossip girl (i guarantee this). and to solidify my belief in their impending atomic bomb like explosion, phoenix just picked them up as their opening act for some of their upcoming u.s. tour dates. when one of the best pop rock bands in the world gives you their stamp of approval, you win.

the album, in and of itself, is not life changing. it's not mumford and sons sigh no more quality. i want my albums like i want my books and movies. i want them to speak to me and tell me stories. tourist hisotry is an album chalk full of fun music and hits. the first seven songs are radio quality pop. its going to be one of the best albums of the year in terms of content, and TDCC will be in constant rotation on your iPod's by years end. It's a sure thing.

listen to a couple tracks off tourist history below, along with 'something good can work' from the previously posted playlist and pick up their album.

Two Door Cinema Club - Something Good Can Work by wcgrimes

Two Door Cinema Club - Cigarettes in the Theatre by wcgrimes

the national: terrible love

2010-03-11T20:52:00.000-08:00

the national, my all time favorite band, introduced a brand new song from their upcoming album, high violet on jimmy fallon last night. the song, titled 'terrible love' is the lead track off the album which is set to drop may 11th. the sound quality, in particular lead singer matt berninger's voice, leaves a bit to be desired, but i'm confident the studio version will properly highlight berninger's incredible talent.

when i gush about the national, some people get it, and other's don't. which is fine, i realize this whole taste in music thing is subjective. i love many types of music for many different reasons, and the national, to me, are ole reliable. they're like the dog waiting for you at the door when you come home from work. they're a favorite pillow (we all have one), your mom's home cooking, or a good bourbon. they just do it for me. admittedly, 'terrible love' isn't one of their best songs....but its the national....they could sing in icelandic and i'd be all about it. i'd still get chills. maybe jimmy fallon and i can lock ourselves in a room and go crazy over the new album together...he obviously gets their appeal.

personally i think the new mgmt is crap, so i wont even bother posting it. but it's out there if you're interested. google's your friend. but another old band came out with a new jam, lcd soundsystem dropped 'oh you (christmas blues)' this week which comes from the soundtrack to ben stiller's new movie, greenberg. the soundsystem is also set to drop a new album later this year, so we'll keep you posted on that as well.

listen to 'oh you (christmas blues)' and tell me it didn't come straight from pink floyd's darkside of the moon album. kind of makes me want to fire up the wizard of oz...

LCD Soundsystem - Oh You (Christmas Blues)

cousins

2010-03-10T20:15:00.000-08:00

a friend of the hipster put in a request, and we're happy to oblige.

mumford & sons unleashed a wicked cover of vampire weekend's 'cousins' on bbc radio 1's live lounge last week. live lounge and la blogotheque are my favorite music related websites. while there are tons of great blogs out there which i visit daily to discover new music, these two take it to a whole 'notha level. they really expose the personalities of artists and give you a pretty intimate look into what they're all about. it dives deeper than the music.

on live lounge, artists almost always cover someone (swedish electro trio miike snow did la roux and british rapper example spit some kesha, for instance) and la blogotheque has many rad features, but their 'concerts on the go' are hands down the most incredible music videos ever made. artists are filmed performing their hit songs traveling down avenues and alleyways, and we see people flock and become emotionally involved in the music. its incredible. check out phoenix play a spontaneous concert on the streets of paris and tell me you're not inspired.

so next time you're looking to waste some time, and if you're into rad shit, check these websites out.

so that request...ya that was for a download link to mumford's 'cousins' cover. here it is. i've also attached, for the hell of it, a video from la blogotheque of ezra koenig performing, among other things, cousins in a parisian art studio. music is unlike any other art, in the sense that other talented artists can take an amazing piece of music, and put their own spin on it while keeping the original foundation in tact. or an artist can put a new twist on their own song. i love this quality.

Mumford and Sons - Cousins (Vampire Weekend Cover)

premature playlistulation

2010-03-09T21:29:00.001-08:00

i discovered a little website called sound cloud today. thanks travis. i spent about 30 minutes navigating the website and put together a little playlist. i'd say my return on time is pretty solid, i guess you can be the judge by listening/downloading below.

i am very much still figuring this out, but i wanted to post this to see how it works. consider it the beta playlist. i'm hoping you knuckleheads can download these songs for yourselves as the goal here would be to provide some music you can throw on your cassette mixtapes to get you more stoked on the artists we are listening to. ya dig?

just a few tracks and i've enjoyed lately that you'd never hear on any radio station...
electro schmlectro

Yeasayer - O.N.E video

2010-03-09T15:59:00.001-08:00

if you're not down with yeasayer stop reading this blog. these dudes are for real and all you fools still praising mgmt need to get over it and get down with the yeasayer movement. their place in the music landscape is this lovely little world that incorporates just enough experimental electro a la animal collective with a smidgen of passion pit power pop . and if that fantastic description (enter sarcasm font here) doesn't sell it for you, check out the piece rolling stone did about them last month. they're on board.

so ya, i've posted this song before, but the official video was released today and its nails. yeasayer is 2 for 2 in videos for 'odd blood' as the ambling alp video we previously posted is (insert new hipster word for 'epic' here. that word is tired).

i love their style, their look, their art. the music and the images they create with it. i'm so down with the dancers that hit near the 1:25 mark and continue to appear throughout. good stuff yeasayer. keep up the good work, 2010 is your year.

Yeasayer "ONE" By: Radical Friend from ODDBLOOD on Vimeo.

mumford & sons - cousins (vampire weekend cover)

2010-03-04T11:30:00.000-08:00

eargasm.

i've had this on loop for the last 30 minutes.

fitting that after i put marcus mumford in my parthenon of male vocalists (population now 3: matt berninger, ezra koenig, mumford), that he covers one of ezra's best tracks off the new vampire weekend album, 'cousins.'

its hard to do - take a perfectly great song and make it better. but they do. just listen, its beautiful. m&s put their twangy brit-folk stamp on a fantastic original. i love the change of pace.

and heads up: m&s announced a new U.S. tour on monday. they'll be kick drumming their way though san francisco june 3 @ great american music hall. fantastic band at a fantastic venue. happy early birthday to me.

mumford & sons

2010-02-23T21:00:00.001-08:00

well. it looks like my album of the year got knocked off pretty quickly. mumford & sons, welcome to the top.

i've long been a sucker for a great voice and great lyrics and when those two elements are added on top of soulful folk, and a kick drum is added to the mix....as my friend mark explained, 'man you're so gay on these guys.' it's true. huge man crush on mumford and sons.

i wrote about mumford and sons a few weeks ago and posted their single 'little lion man.' i listened to this song, and pretty much only this song, became genuinely excited about them, and decided to go to their show two weeks ago.

great decision.

i had to let the experience settle. i wanted to rave about how great the show was and claim m&s to be my new favorite act. i felt a legitimate excitement for their music, their style, their passion. they reminded me a lot of what i felt when i first heard passion pit's 'manners' last year. i wanted to tell everyone about them.

knowing nothing about marcus mumford nor his sons, i'm willing to bet they have experienced quite a bit in the game of love. to say these boys wear their collective hearts on their sleeves wouldn't do their beautiful art justice. the album has a gigantic heart and their live performance is equally as lovable. in fact, the album not only has a heart, it has a soul. and 'sigh no more' was written to expose that soul to the world.

'love that will not betray you, dismay or enslave you / it will set you free / be more like the man you were made to be / at my heart you see/ the beauty of love as it was made to be.'

pretty safe to say these guys set the tone right off the bat with those lyrics from the title track and the lead in to the album. and honestly its only full speed ahead from there. so if you're someone who's unable to explore their feelings, this album is beyond you.

song number two, 'the cave' is clearly a standout jam and anyone who's love wasn't once equally returned from their partner will easily relate to it. its about giving everything you've got but coming up short. about staying true to yourself while at the same time having faith in someone else. its about swallowing pride and never giving up hope...about moving on but still wishing the best for someone. it just might be the ultimate break up song because in reality its a rallying cry.

and from here the album takes you on a journey about moving on and the difficulty involved in giving love another chance. 'winter winds' immediately faces the difficulty of letting yourself fall in love again in the face of your best intentions and greatest doubts. 'oh the warmth in your eyes swept me into your arms / was it love or fear of the cold that led us through the night? // and my head told my heart - let love grow / but my heart told my head - this time no'

by the time 'little lion man' hits at track seven, we feel as if marcus mumford has turned the tables, and perhaps settled a score. or at the very least, he seems to be walking away from a love game as the victor. the decision maker. the one who was able to protect their own feelings as the brit with the painfully beautiful vocals sings, 'it was not your fault but mine / it was your heart on the line / i really fucked it up this time / didn't i my dear.'

and perhaps, at this point the message is clear. in a 'sometimes your the windshield, sometimes your the bug' sort of way, mumford & sons seem to have explained in just seven magnificent songs that we are all bound to experience both ends of the spectrum and everything in between. tell the listener now understands that sometimes you're the loved, and sometimes you're the lost.

three tracks later, one of the more beautiful songs you'll ever hear hits and really ties their message together. 'awake my soul' is a love ballad that is so perfectly placed towards the end of an album which has just spent dozens of minutes navigating the love roller coaster.

How fickle my heart and how woozy my eyes
I struggle to find any truth in your lies
And now my heart stumbles on things I don't know
This weakness I feel I must finally show

clearly diminished and beaten up, mumford then cries for his soul to be brought back to life; that he doesn't know what to believe anymore. that is until, just before the beat picks up again, he seems to have picked himself up and come back to the point where he was at the very beginning of the album.

Lend me your hand and we'll conquer them all
But lend me your heart and I'll just let you fall
Lend me your eyes I can change what you see
But your soul you must keep, totally free
Har har, har har, har har, har har

In these bodies we will live, in these bodies we will die
Where you invest your love, you invest your life

Sigh No More - Mumford & Sons

dan black ft. kid cudi

2010-02-21T18:00:00.000-08:00

big ups to young posting great new music from germany. that's dedication...

today i bring you dan black. a gent from the u.k currently touring the U.S. and introducing us to his amazing music. his jam 'symphonies' featuring kid cudi is straight fire. the tune is a sample of 'umbrella' by rihanna, laced with soothing vocals from black and cudi. their voices really go together incredibly well.

you knuckleheads in l.a. can catch him at spaceland this wednesday, and san franciscans like myself can catch him along with free energy thursday night at 330 ritch. popscene @ 330 ritch is killing it by bringing us mumford and sons 2 weeks ago, and now this. and tickets are in the neighborhood of $10 every time. that's less than a tipsy pig cocktail. if you're not down with popscene yet you are really missing out.

get to know dan black now, or in six months when he gets super popular.

Two Door Cinema Club

2010-02-21T09:04:00.000-08:00

Heard these guys once and knew I had to post them. Think Bloc Party sound, Postal Service vocals. Amazing. Their album Tourist History just dropped in the UK and will see a stateside release early this year... so jump on iTunes and log into the UK store and purchase now, so you can be the cool kid on the block when these kids blow up.

To quote Mark Hoppus's review "Dance-y, frenetic indie rock. Driving drums, scratchy infectious guitar noodles, and some damn fine singing" sums it up perfectly. Check it...

chiddy bang; lupe fiasco

2010-02-17T08:18:00.000-08:00

a couple of my new(ish) favorite hip-hop tracks for y'all.

but first, this: lil wayne put his rap/rock album out a few weeks ago and honestly i'm not a huge fan. lil wayne is at his best, in my opinion, on his mixtapes. mr. weezyana can straight flow and when you throw the distorted rock and production into the mix with the vocals it takes away from the main ingredient. the man needs to keep it simple. n.e.r.d has really been the only act who has been able to successfully mix the two genres for me and if you want to cross genres, rappers, please follow the kid cudi/ratatat electro-rap mold.

i've had this chiddy bang song on my hands for about a year, and enjoyed it but just thought these guys were messing around, sampling music (they also sampled sufjan steven's 'chicago' quite nicely) and didn't give much attention to them. well now the duo has put together a pretty rad little video and are releasing their ep next week. 'opposite of adults' is the first single and ep namesake and i'm suddenly interested to hear more...

also in the world of hip-hop, lupe fiasco is set to release his third (and perhaps final??) album titled lasers sometime in 2010. no date is set but i'm digging the first track released titled, 'what u want' and its very kid cudi-esque flow. if this is the direction lupe, one of the better and less recognized hip-hop artists in the game takes then the album will be a hit with me.

Chiddy Bang 'Opposite of Adults' from LOOSEWORLD on Vimeo.

yeasayer: odd blood

2010-02-09T18:58:00.000-08:00

odd blood is the highly anticipated sophomore album from yeasayer which dropped today...and despite the high expectations, it fully delivers with out a sniff of a let down.

the album is easily my favorite of the young year, which is saying a lot since vampire weekend and hot chip have already debuted albums as well. however, matt berninger and the national are set to hit us with a yet to be named follow up to 2007's boxer in may, and in my opinion it could be comprised of lullabies and nursery rhymes and probably be my favorite album of the year. they're so fucking good.

anywho, odd blood is a fantastic listen from start to finish, as long as you start at song #2. here you'll find one of the best songs of the year so far, 'ambling alp.' from there the album takes off as it successfully combines elements of some of my favorite and most successful acts of 2009 throughout. its got some of that trippy electro reminiscent of animal collective, some high pitched passion pit-esque pop, some interesting synth combinations as displayed by discovery, and some heavy percussion and hand claps. their sound takes the perfect dose of all of my favorite elements of electronic pop and mixes it together oh so perfectly that when it hits your ears it just feels so good.

and maybe it feels so good because of their ability to be happy, uplifting and motivational without being cheezy. i'm no biologist but this album just gets in your blood and lifts you up in the same way the bright sunshine does that there must be some sort of catalyst invovled. the sound really penetrates and before you know it you'll be clapping, skipping and chanting along.

the album has the power singles to appeal to the masses - 'ambling alp' and 'O.N.E.' specifically, which are definitely standout tracks. 'love me girl' might just be my favorite five minutes of the album, as the jam builds beautifully with a nearly two minute introduction until the perfectly paced lyrics are added from two sets of voices which mesh as perfectly as a sexual encounter between tom brady and giselle. come on that benjamin boy is beautiful.

'love me girl' is followed with another one of my favorites, 'rome' which picks the pace up and just makes you want to get weird. and speaking of silly, 'mondegreen' is another easy going fun jam which i'm sure will get the masses moving at a live show. i could talk about every track, but honestly the music is strong to quite strong throughout - it's even got a valentines-mixtape-worthy love ballad batting cleanup in 'i remember.'

yeasayer will be playing coachella this year and if you are headed to indio get to know 'em. they'll definitely be one of the more pleasant surprises to those who don't know any better, and one of the more popular acts of people who really know their music.

Odd Blood - Yeasayer

free energy

2010-02-06T15:52:00.000-08:00

free energy is my first 2010 breakout artist to watch so do yourself a favor and check them out when they come to san francisco february 24th and 25th. i guarantee you six months from now when they are all the rage you'll be pretty stoked you saw them at the rickshaw stop or 330 ritch with just a few hundred people in attendance.

we posted their jam, 'dream city' here on the blog last fall. click the 'free energy' link on the right hand side to review this post, and that amazing song and video. straight jam.

free energy's debut album, titled stuck on nothing, has been pretty highly anticipated for quite some time now - because they rip, have signed with dfa and the is being produced by lcd soundsystem. that's some serious talent behind a bands first album. and although it was expected in january, well, that month came and went and now dfa has announced the album drops march 9. i feel it will be worth the wait.

the band has just released a new track called 'hope child' which is of the same mold of 'dream city' - a jam which inspires and, as young previously wrote, 'just feels so right.' their message is loud and clear - we're going to do our damn thing, you're coming with me, and we might just light the world on fire.

i expect these dudes to light the world on fire this year.

Free Energy - Hope Child

hot chip

2010-02-04T15:35:00.000-08:00

the new hot chip album one life stand drops next tuesday, february 9 in the states...that is if you actually wait to buy music anymore.

a while back we posted the first single off the album, which shares its name with the title, but here is another new hot chip jam i'm crazy about - 'thieves in the night.' i love the way the song builds with heavy percussion, then soothing vocals, and finally about half way through really just explodes. this is one that should be ripe for some ridiculous remixing.

frightened rabbit

2010-02-03T14:20:00.001-08:00

so i hope ya'll are amped up for festival season. when the coachella lineup was announced, i damn near pe'ed my pants. and probably for reasons you don't understand yet. by that i mean i'm excited to see jay-z and muse bring the desert down, but i'm super excited for what i like to call the small font bands.

you see, coachella's headliners and 'popular' acts get the big size font for obvious reasons (marketing and sales). but as i read the small font names (the less popular acts) i started to experience a tightening of the bladder. some of these names you've seen on this blog -florence and the machine, yeasayer, edward sharpe and the magnetic zeros - and some you haven't seen here yet - club 75, beach house, jonsi. but this will change. leading up to coachella i will do my best to get the word out on as many of these artists as possible.

first up on your coachella radar is a little band out of scotland called frightened rabbit. frightened rabbit jumped on the indie rock map with the release of their second album in 2009 fresh of opening for death cab for cutie on their european tour. and the boys seem to be taking the momentum and running with it, as they will release their third album this march just a year later. these guys bring a pure scottish rock sound coming straight from the heart and soul but mixed with enough jameson to provide a bit of edge.

and props to the band for being able to name an album. 2009's effort the midnight organ fight is being followed by 2010's the winter of mixed drinks which makes sense as the album is about "pushing yourself out to the edge of things and being alone, feeling lost and not knowing where you are." sounds emo and i love it.

below: 'swim until you can't see land' is the fantastic first single off the yet to be released mixed drinks album - look for it in march, and 'good arms vs. bad arms' is off organ fight - one of the better albums of 2009 you didn't buy.

Coeur de Pirate

2010-02-03T10:37:00.000-08:00

French Canadian pop singer... started playing the piano at 3 years old so you know she's good. This shit is just plain sexxxy. Listen to it while getting weird. Only good things will come of it.

caribou

2010-02-02T12:24:00.000-08:00

5 minutes of perfection. that is all.

jj

2010-02-01T20:17:00.000-08:00

jj is a swedish electropop group you need to know. they released their first two albums last year in sweden and almost immediately signed to an american record label. their first stateside album is set to be released in early march.

jj grabbed a ton of attention recently with their single 'esctasy' which is a sample of lil wayne's lolipop. it's fantastic and so incredibly versatile. a track you can listen to cruising in your whip, holmes, or relaxing at some swank lounge. throw this beat on the next time you have people over and you are bound to impress. in fact, go ahead and pick up their most recent release, jj n° 2, which is a peaceful 29 minute listen front to back.

their third album, the aforementioned first american release, is titled jj n° 3. the album will drop at the same time jj begins their first american tour with the xx this spring. alphabet soup tour joke is too easy...i'll pass.

Ramblings

2010-01-31T07:44:00.001-08:00

Basically wanted to let you in on what I've been walking around Europe listening to.

edward sharpe and the magnetic zeros

2010-01-28T11:20:00.000-08:00

in my next life i want to be a folk singer. preferably this character edward sharpe. because that's what edward sharpe is, just a character not an actual person. sharpe "was sent down to earth to kinda heal and save mankind...but he kept getting distracted by girls and falling in love" explains alex ebert, sharpe's inventor. sounds like the jesus tiger woods to me. sign me up.

edward sharpe and the magnetic zeros is a large folk band headed by ebert as his alter-ego sharpe, accompanied by a female vocalist and a large contingent of musicians. their music is soulful and fun and full of love. its typical fantastic folk music in typical folk style - they even crammed into a old school white bus for their first ever tour in 2009.

their debut album, up from below dropped in 2009 and is chalk full of hits. but for my money, the best comes right off the bat in '40 day dream' which leads off the album. check this out, along with their silly poppy single 'home' below.

in june 2009 the band released 'desert song', a music video which is part 1 of a 12-part feature-length musical. part 2, 'kisses over babylon' was released in november of 2009. it actually would be unfair to label them as music videos...they are each individual acts to what the band calls a 'feature length musical.' check out 'kises over babylon' below, its absolutely fantastic and worth every second of its 8 minutes.

edward sharpe and the magnetic zeros are playing coachella this april and i'll be there to check them out. i fully expect a one of a kind magical live performance just like what you're about to see below.

Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros "KISSES OVER BABYLON" from Edward Sharpe on Vimeo.

mumford and sons

2010-01-26T11:24:00.000-08:00

i've totally been slacking. well, slacking probably isn't the right word, more like neglecting. you see, life's pretty busy with a full time job and my pursuit of higher education. but i haven't been staying true to my creative side. i'm still listening to the music, but i'm neglecting my three followers (i counted) by not blogging. my bad.

i've always jived in and out of music phases. well, for the most part. i've yet to get into the memphis gospel choir, but i'm pretty sure i've at least doggie paddled in every other musical genre's waters. the last few months have been dominated by folk and rock. especially from western europe. bands like frightened rabbit, and mumford and sons. oh but stay tuned i've got a great one for you tomorrow - hint: ES&tMZ.

mumford and sons are british and as far as i can tell the sons are not necessarily that of mr. mumford, the lead singer. the blokes are coming to san francisco february 11th thanks to popscene. i'll definitely be at that show. check out their single 'little lion man' below.

Barretso

2010-01-24T13:08:00.000-08:00

No words to describe just check it out... Barretso - Midnight Walk. Coming to you from Chile, nothing like a little South American Techno.

Little Dragon

2010-01-10T12:03:00.000-08:00

While prepping for my journey to Germany I've been searching for new music that will help the 12 hour flight fly by. In doing so I've come across Little Dragon. They are a sassy Swedish electro band with hints of The Knife. They released their new album Machine Dreams in November of last year and it is pretty impressive. I'm pumped for my trip and for this album, have a listen...

white rabbits

2009-12-29T12:53:00.000-08:00

'tis the season of the list. best albums, best songs, best songs off best albums from bands who had best live performances... whatever. its overblown and overkill and damnit we'll have ours out shortly!

one list i did enjoy was posted today over at stereogum titled "12 best late night performances" (along with the also posted today "10 best NSFW music videos of 2009" which is a pleasure, so check that out as well). i enjoyed this list for a few reasons, notably because i make a habbit of checking my comcast tv guide before i go to sleep to see who's appearing on kimmel (usually the best acts), letterman (second), conan et. all. i love live music and the late night show performance is a close derivation of the practice.

but i also love liste season because i'll stumble across bands and songs that i gave a listen to, maybe downloaded a few songs from, but went on to forget. well not really forget, more like pushed aside...white rabbits is one such band which almost escaped me in 2009.

white rabbits are an indie rock group out of brooklyn by way of the university of missouri and sound a lot like cold war kids. i like cold war kids, so it was pretty likely i'd like these guys too. and i did, back in the first half of this year. they incorporate hart pounding percussion laced with swinging piano key and it works beautifully. their jam 'percussion gun' is a stellar example of their style and as you can see in the video below the two drummers battle it out to lay a solid percussion backbone to the track while the lead singer tickles the piano keys and throws his heart through his lungs and into the lyrics.

i'm excited about the use of gigantic percussion drums i've seen in music this year, as seen in yeasayer's "ambling alp" video and my friendly fires live experience of a lifetime. keep up the drum beats and kicks, kids.

broken bells

2009-12-28T08:26:00.001-08:00

broken bells is the fantastic musical marriage of danger mouse (gnarls barkley) and james mercer (frontman for the shins). their conceived love child is a beautiful blend of mercer's soothing, almost pain-ridden vocals familiar to fans of the shins infused with danger mouse's electronic production skills exhibited in his work with gnarls barkley and gorillaz 2005 release demon days.

broken bells has only released one song, "the high road" which is available on iTunes and for download across the world wide web. "the high road" is a beautiful melody which has me excited for more from these boys, who are set to release a full length album march 8th.

Metric + The Twelves

2009-12-27T17:05:00.000-08:00

This post has two of my favorite obsessions... Emily Haines and The Twelves. I've been rocking this track on repeat for the past week and it's been getting me through the holidays. Have a listen and get ready for my NYE Mix Tape I'll be posting this week. It'll be a dance party in the form of an mp3.

Download the Metric Twelves Remix free at RCRDLBL

yeasayer: ambling alp video

2009-12-23T09:09:00.000-08:00

this video is flawless. i love everything about it. the song is amazing, the lone drummer atop the mountain, the horses, the naked women, the headless fighting warriors, the flying head...it's just fantastic and artistically brilliant. you must watch.

yeasayer's album was set to be released in february of 2010, but like most albums it was leaked on the internets, most likely on purpose. so anyone who knows how to operate a google search can find this album, titled "odd blood" online. it is sure to be one of 2010's most talked about albums as i expect yeasayer to break out in a similar way that passion pit did in 2009.

julian casablancas: i wish it was christmas today

2009-12-22T08:10:00.001-08:00

the strokes frontman gone solo artist has released a christmas track which, like most of his music and his general persona, is quirky and awkward. and his track selection (an old SNL skit by horatio sans, chris kattan, jimmy fallon and tracy morgan) suggests that maybe he has embraced his inner goofball. seriously, if you see him live - most awkward stage presence ever. sure, i guess its technically a 'cover' but if you're a fan of either his band or his solo movement you'll likely enjoy this festive christmas tune which is available on iTunes.

and here's the original SNL skit:

SNL Christmas Song

EDIT (added 12/23): And wouldn't you know, JC and Jimmy Fallon team up to carry on the tradition:

Free Energy

2009-12-21T15:29:00.000-08:00

So these guys aren't my typical post but it just feels so right. They're on DFA (produced by James Murphy ... LCD Soundsystem) and their debut album drops mid January. It's got a little AC/DC cock rock, some heavy vintage fuzz and a beat to keep your foot tapping. I've got a good feeling about these guys so check out their first single off of their debut album Stuck on Nothing.

"Free Energy" from Free Energy on Vimeo.

florence + the machine: last christmas

2009-12-21T13:40:00.000-08:00

something to put you in the christmas spirit - a f+tm cover of one of the more soulful christmas songs ever, 'last christmas.' i challange you to find a female artist with a voice more bautiful while at the same time powerful than florence welch.

miike snow: silvia

2009-12-21T13:26:00.000-08:00

swedish trio miike snow (group, not a person, remember) released a new music video for their jam 'silvia' off their self titled debut album. one of my favorite songs from one of my favorite new acts in 2009, miike snow has recently released north american tour dates for early 2010. i won't be missing them this time when they roll through san francisco in mid april.

watch the rad/somber/creepy video below:

the white stripes

2009-12-18T15:30:00.000-08:00

jack white is pretty bad ass. actually, he's very bad ass. i've long been a fan of pretty much anything he touches...the white stripes, the raconteurs, et. all...

justice put out a tour dvd last year and it was phenomenal and i fully expect the white stripes version, out in march, to live up to that standard. what would be greater than being a rockstar on tour? you see the world, you meet tons of people who adore you, you party. i mean, i wish i figured that out in my pre-teens and not my 20's...take a look at the trailer for their upcoming tour dvd 'under the great northern lights.' we see jack and meg exploring the wilderness, hanging out with children and old folks, bowling with their musical instruments and leading a sing along on what looks like a public transportation bus. just look at how much fun their having...

but i guess if you can't be a rockstar you can live vicariously through them.

fyfe dangerfield: she needs me

2009-12-17T13:43:00.000-08:00

fyfe has gone, for me, from superunknown to "i really can't wait until his album drops" faster than anyone i can remember. at least faster than anyone not traveling through timezones in a delorean.

i love the use of the brass instruments in this tune. hell, i contest that there isn't enough brass in music these days. i'm not saying we need to go all real-big-fish-ska-style on everyone but shit some trumpet and trombone is a welcome addition to the percussion and string (not to mention piano/keyboard/synth) dominated tones of today's music. friendly fires brings on stage a 3 piece brass section during their live act, and it was fantastic.

fyfe's debut album drops 1.18.10. get a taste of the second single off that album, 'she needs me.'

the avett brothers

2009-12-16T19:06:00.000-08:00

maybe its the rainy weather. maybe its the cold...it's probably both...but there's something about this time of year that has me frolicking back to my folk music. when the rain and snow become an every day occurrence, and its already dark by the time i get home from work, i find some comfort in the folk music. it goes nicely with a warm fire and a cup of coffee.

which brings me to the avett brothers. these guys are making a serious run at my album of the year title. released in september, i and love and you is an absolute smash. the band hails from north carolina and oozes good ole country boy flavor. the music can best be described as folk, but it has a nice mix of country, soul and pop which i believe will serve the brothers avett very well going forward. take a listen to two of my favorite tracks off the album below and seriously consider picking up the whole album. it is very buy worthy.

01 I And Love And You.mp3

03 Head Full Of Doubt_Road Full Of Promise.mp3

hot chip - one life stand

2009-12-16T09:49:00.001-08:00

one life stand is a brilliant album title. well done boys.

here's a taste of what hot chip is bringing to you in early 2010. it's the lead single off one life stand also titled 'one life stand' its a trippy little video, perfect for a mellow synth pop tune. not really something you can dance too, but it does make you wiggle. i'm diggin it.

the xx remixes florence

2009-12-14T20:45:00.000-08:00

a few months ago i introduced y'all to florence and the machine . florence welch still blows my mind. her album, appropriately titled lungs because she's got a godly fucking pair of them, is a definite go-to on a rainy day or whenever you're in the mood for some soulful jams. and people are starting to take notice. nbc's hit new show 'community' featured her song 'kiss with a fist' this past week.

but what i found a few months ago, was this AMAZING the xx remix of her song 'you've got the love.' The xx brings their typical somber sound to one of florence and her machine's best songs. and i completely echo young's comments on the xx. their album is wonderful and the british foursome-gone-threesome is definitely one of the breakout artists of 2009. listen and download their ridiculous remix below.

You\'ve Got the Love (The xx Remix) 1.mp3

and, one of my favorite song's off florence's debut album, 'kiss with a fist.'

05 Kiss with a Fist.mp3

animal collective

2009-12-12T15:26:00.000-08:00

as expected, animal collective's 2009 release merriweather post pavilion is straight dominating the 'best of 2009' lists. from urban outfitters to spin magazine, and seemingly every other music blog in between, the baltimore maryland musicians are receiving high praise. expected because ever since the album was announced in 2008 it has been loved more than tiger woods junk.

and i must admit...it totally deserves it. i was originally not a huge fan of their work, but damnit i've always respected it. i've blogged about how i appreciate progressive musicians, and when mpp dropped in early 2009 it was unlike anything ever heard before. maybe it was the praise and hype that turned me off. maybe it was the complex sounds. whatever it was, aside from a couple songs like 'my girls' and 'summertime clothes' i wasn't really about it.

and then it grew on me and i have come around. and i do in fact enjoy the album. love...i'm not there yet. it wont be making my best albums of 2009 list, but maybe that says something more about me than them, since everyone else seems to fascinated.

i do know for certain 'my girls' will appear within my best songs of '09 list. not only is it a favorite of mine, but many are awarding the soulful, emotional, psych-electro jam the song of the year for 2009. listen to 'my girls' (and to another of my favorites off their new album, 'brother sport') and see for yourself.

My Girls.mp3

Brother Sport.mp3

The XX

2009-12-12T11:03:00.000-08:00

So I posted The XX back in August and I still keep coming back to them. There's something magical, dark, and deep about them. While I still listen to the album in it's entirety (it's that good) I have been getting into the remix's lately as there are some amazing ones. I'm really liking the Death to the Throne remix of Shelter and the Rory Philips remix of Crystalised. Also if you haven't checked out their album, grab it now because it's definitely making my top 10 list of 2009.

Miracles of Modern Science

2009-12-12T10:11:00.000-08:00

These guys are just what I want to listen to on a dark and ugly day like today. They're self-proclaimed orchestra drop outs and jazz-band rejects who remind me of Ra Ra Riot that you can still get down to. Oh... and the best part is you can download their album free from their website or click the download link below... Enjoy!

the big pink

2009-12-09T13:39:00.000-08:00

with the year winding down various blogs, magazines and websites are putting together their 'best of 2009' lists. this has produced two dominant thoughts in my brain surrounding this blog.

1. we should do our own best of list. i will be putting together a top albums and top songs list, with mp3 links which will allow you to download them. yes, we do wish to become an actual, relevant music blog. young has also started putting together mixtapes (and i've heard his work - its brilliant) which will be available to download as well. these will be great for those daily workout sessions, work commutes, and impromptu late night dance parties.

2. i've enjoyed a lot of music in 2009 i haven't blogged about yet. so consider much of what's to come in 2009 a bit of a game of catch up. i am by no means breaking any news on new albums/bands/songs. that's never really my game anyway. i have a ton of new music on my radar for 2010 and feel that before we hit that, and in many cases (cold war kids, vampire weekend, yeasayer) we already have. but let us wrap up 2009 by giving love to those which put out some great work.

in response to thought #2 above, i bring you the big pink. they are an electronic rock duo out of london, england which put out their debut album a brief history of love in september of 2009. their touring schedule in 2009 consisted of opening for a couple very huge acts - tv on the radio and muse. they sound like a mix of muse and mgmt. or a harder rock the xx.

my favorite jam of their album is 'dominos' which was released as the fourth single shortly before the album dropped in september. 'love in vein' is another one of my favorites off the album, which is a much slower emo jam.

Dominos.mp3

Love In Vain.mp3

A Brief History Of Love - The ...

justice feat. uffie

2009-12-08T20:22:00.001-08:00

now its my turn to call out young.

so this kesha song that's hot fiyah right now with all the twelve year old girls...and young...is really bothering me. sure its a catchy, poppy, fun song to dance to. i can see myself getting down to it at the club.

but i've had this song by justice ft. uffie in my itunes library for two years now. and the second i heard kesha i said 'hold up, this is uffie' because it sounds exactly like her. just like owl city rips off postal service, kesha rips off uffie. i guess that's just what happens with mainstream pop.

as i said, the kesha jam is something i can totally get down to...but i prefer the justice version.

Ke$ha

2009-12-07T15:45:00.000-08:00

Just some super pop for this rainy ugly Monday. This song reeks of major labels and Auto-Tune but is just way too catchy to not post and any video with Dirt Nasty in it is a winner in my books. She reminds me a bit of Uffie with a more mellow / less crude style. I'm really liking the Skeet Skeet remix, check it out and good luck with your case of the Mondays.

~~~SKEET SKEET REMIX~~~

california english pt. 2

2009-12-06T17:56:00.001-08:00

'california english pt. 2' is simply a b-side and will not be on the upcoming, contra album. bummer, because in this track Rostam Batmanglij's side project discovery is clearly influencing vampire weekend's sound. i really hope this is the direction vampire weekend moves towards as they grow out of the preppy pop jam band mold into hopefully a more experimental electronic outfit. the four second electronic loop sounds as if the track has the hiccups, and is very animal collective-esque. but this sounds very similar to a few songs off the discovery lp. if you haven't picked that up yet, i highly recommend it.

either way, if this track didn't make the album...the album's got to be pretty fucking rad. january 12 is only a few short weeks away.

erin cuidi vampire weekend aoki drake kanye eminem

2009-12-03T16:22:00.001-08:00

short on time, long on music (new hot chip, new spoon, more fyfe...yes please. coming soon. need more time in the day).

i fell in love tuesday night. her name is erin heatherton. her photo is above. isn't she pretty?

on to the music - this new cudi track is everywhere on the internets. cuddi and ezra koenig's voices are exclusively brilliant and collaboratively extraordinary. solid vampire weekend backing, ezra intro, and cudi freestyle. i'm digging 'cudderisback' but at less than 3 minutes i'm left wanting some more. ezra should have finished this out with a final verse. i'm picky, i'll admit it. erin's ok with it...

steve aoki remix to drake's 'forever' featuring lil wayne, kanye and eminem. typical aoki hard hitting dance party banger, but i love love love the major beat switchup when eminem rocks the mic in the final verse. make sure you listen through that part. brilliant.

Monarchy

2009-12-02T13:20:00.000-08:00

the hipster's week long absence can be attributed to a tryptophan coma. alas, all is finally good in the hood and we're back to what we do best..albeit a few pounds heavier. why do you have to be so tasty, stuffing?

before i bring you a fresh new duo, i need to touch on a couple things. first, much love to our boy jermaine maine for the scarf and snowflake logo. so fresh, homeboy. so fresh. hope the hipster nation agrees.

on to the music. if you ever get to see friendly fires live, go. it's a must see experience. lead singer ed macfarlane is absolutely brilliant and from the second he steps on stage and ever so charmingly announces "thank you for coming, we're friendly fires" in his charming british accent, you will not stop wiggling and dancing. he's infectious and has the most incredible stage presence i have ever seen. and its not just mr. ed because the whole band rocks out. the lead guitarist comes into the audience to party. the two, yes two, drummers drum-battle hansel and zoolander walk off style. they are even accompanied by a 3 piece brass section for a few songs. who doesn't love some live trumpet with their electro dance and heavy percussion? see a ff live show because it is magnificent. see for yourself:

next, the hipster got gossip girl'd again this week. just last week i posted some new vampire weekend, and said that after listening to some of their tracks off their upcoming sophomore album, i was stoked for the release. well, one of those jams i was particularly stoked for is white sky. well guess which song was featured on this week's episode? furthermore, i guess another song featured on the episode called whatcha say by some no talent clown named jason derulo is currently the most (over)played song on the radio. really, a cheesy rap sampling imogen heap's beautiful hide and seek which is butchered by autotune is really what the radio is giving us these days? it's really incredible and unbelievable to me. next thing you know we'll have a canadian 15 year old rapper forced down our throats. justin bieber...seriously? anywho, i found a pretty solid version of white sky for ya'll. and if anyone has a hook up in the music business who can get darkness a job putting music on tv shows i think its pretty clear he'd be damn good at it. gossip girl doesn't need any help. but i'd be down for mr. belvedere re-runs if that's what it takes to break in. check out vampire weekends white sky:

now, on to monarchy. this duo comes to us from london town and will be hitting us with their debut single gold in the fire early next year. well, i got a good listen pre-release and am passing it along to you because after just one listen i'm expecting big things. this is a smooth electro pop love jam which is equally as soothing as it is poppy. its got a solid 80's synth foundation and super soothing vocals. it kinda just makes you want to curl up and love somebody. look for more great things from these blokes in the new year.

cold war kids - audience of one

2009-11-23T13:30:00.000-08:00

when cold war kids entered into my life with their debut album robbers & cowards in 2007 i was instantly won over. the los angeles based rock foursome mesmerized me with a fresh sound that so perfectly combined distorted rock and roll guitars with powerful percussion and beautiful piano key melodies. and on top of this musical backdrop lead singer nathan willett's high pitched and almost whiny voice provided a perfect overlap. willett's ability to covey emotion in his lyrics is what really makes cwk's music amazing for me. its a beautiful sound yet almost painful and melancholy at the same time. their song 'hospital beds' off of robbers & cowards is the most shining example of this.

cwk released their second album in 2008 titled loyalty to loyalty and for all intents and purposes it was a giant disappointment. however i'm choosing to chalk this up to growing pains now that i've heard their new song 'audience of one' off their upcoming EP behave yourself.

this jam sounds like many of the tunes off their first album and really draws off the strengths of willett's emotionally whiny sound. yet it comes together almost like a battle cry as the lyrics are essentially chanted and hand claps accentuate the beat. i personally love the way cwk are able to produce a poppy song while staying true to their melancholic backbone.

behave yourself is set to drop january 19, 2010.

yacht

2009-11-20T14:39:00.000-08:00

young and i decided to let a good college friend of ours come fresh with a post. he wants us to call him"corpus disco" (um, ok, whatever...Nick)...he's coming at you from san diego and, well, we wouldn't give him a piece of the hipster if we didn't think he deserved it even if he has a lame name. just jokes guy, we got nothing but love. and we hate here at the hipster because we love...and straight up the man knows his music, especially the electronic dance scene. so without further adieu...

Part of the DFA family, need I say more… Well in case I do, the family consists of some groups you may recognize-- LCD Soundsystem, The Juan Maclean, Hot Chip, and Hercules and The Love Affair, to name a few.

When this sexual duo came into my life a few months back, I could not wait to be that guy, the one who cant wait to show his friends the next new group. Well, I am not sure how I am just hearing Yacht now, seeing as their first full length album came out in early 2006, followed by two more in 2007, and then See Mystery Lights in 2009, putting them on my radar for the first time. Staying true to their hard working form, a month later they gave the world a gift, a great EP we all love, Psychic City.

The most popular track off the new EP is, coincidentally, 'Psychic City', with a few remixes out there I share my two favorites. Brought to us by the oh so funky Classixx, the bring a clean remix, while the second track is from Rory Phillips and makes for a much better pelvic thrusting choice for the late, late night dance parties this weekend. And it's got the clapping. Who doesn't love clapping?

And for the cherry on top follow this link to get a taste of the Fabio Pop Dancefloor remix, which actually took the Classixx remix and turned it into a dance party banger. This is the jam!

-CD

Robin S

2009-11-18T16:32:00.000-08:00

This is one of those because it's my birthday I can post whatever I want posts. No explanations needed. There are so many remix's of this classic that you can guarantee if I'm playing music at a house party you will hear one of them. So throw your fists in the air and SHOW ME LOVE

yeasayer

2009-11-18T16:19:00.000-08:00

one part 70's psychedelic, one part 80's synth electro beat, one part animal collective. chances are that probably gives you a better idea of just exactly what yeasayer sounds like than they provide; i'm not sure what "middle eastern-psych-snap-gospel" even is.

straight out of brooklyn, these guys are all over the scene - from opening up for mgmt to having their jam 'sunrise' featured on hbo's entourage.

'ambling alp' is the first single off their sophomore album which will likely be their big breakout. i bet you'll be hearing a lot from them in 2010 just as you did mgmt in '08 and passion pit in '09. the album drops in february 2010.

vampire weekend - cousins

2009-11-17T14:54:00.001-08:00

vampire weekend is responsible for one my favorite albums of 2008. so, understandably, my hopes are high but my guard is up for what i feel is likely to be a disappointing sophomore effort. same will go for passion pit and miike snow. you set the bars high, kids. and unfortunately my hesitation was realized last month. sorry, 'horchata' just isn't doing it for me, vampire weekend...not that it's a bad song. it's nice. but ever since my first listen of the new track off their upcoming album (jan 12, 2010) contra i began to worry the boys from columbia university were going to ride the success of their first album and regurgitate more of the same. no innovation. no experimentation. important traits which i feel are essential to sustainability of a successful musician or musicians. madonna is the best example of innovation in music and her ability to reinvent herself has been vital to her longevity. and really, it just keeps things interesting. dave matthews, i'm looking at you with a shaking fist. and given lead singer ezra koenig's new venture discovery was i so wrong to expect a different sound from vw? i do believe some synthesizers and a keyboard were reasonable expectations.

...but now 'cousins' breaks into my life and once again, i'm excited about vampire weekend's new album. and you know what, it's not that it's a super different sound for the group, but something about this jam just led me believe they're trying something a little new. ezra's almost got a rap flow going on...its like vampire weekend on crack rock. additionally, hearing 'cousins' led me to do some due diligence on youtube and while the only samples available are live performances, my faith is renewed in contra ('white sky' should be a smash hit...).

listen to cousins and look out for the new album early next year. and look out for vampire weekend at your holiday rock concert as well as they are scheduled to appear at both kroq and live105's holiday shows.

Cousins - Vampire Weekend

Tegan and Sara

2009-11-16T17:25:00.001-08:00

Canadian twins who get downright emotional... whats there not to like. You'd be lying to me if you've never lit candles, turned the lights down, turned a little Tegan and Sara up and have yourself a nice cry.... it's pretty magical. These girls put out so much emotion in all of their records you can almost feel what they are going through. Their latest album Sainthood picks up the beat a little and provides for a true album, something you can listen to in its entirety which is so rare these days. Check it out...

And because I can't get too emotional --- a little remix for you from their last album

just a band - usinibore

2009-11-13T14:07:00.000-08:00

i don't know much about these guys, but young emailed this to me and i had to pass along such a great pice of art. i totally dig the song, its got a rock solid electronic beat that just makes you bob your head. but while the song is great, the video is fantastic. there is such a talented display of art here- from the face painting to the dancing to the synchronized battle scenes...it's just A+ all around. hope you enjoy it as much as i do.

lady gaga

2009-11-11T13:32:00.000-08:00

look, i'm not a huge fan of this lady gaga, but i can respect what she's doing and think she's doing her damn thing pretty well. as far as i'm concerned, she's more on the christina aguilera end of the female artist spectrum (you know, actually pretty talented) as opposed to the miley cyrus or brittany spears end - which is generally over produced crap.

and i also must admit that this chick turns me on. and its not her looks. sure she has a hot little body and tends to wear next to nothing, but she does her thing and she's super confident about it. its hot. she walks into a room and owns it. there's not a hotter quality a woman could have. every guy wants to be with the one who commands the attention. that and she just oozes sex appeal. she's different and artistic and super talented...plus you know she'd be a little, well, crazy...and that's sexy.

when i first heard her new song 'bad romance' i immediately thought that it needs to be remixed because it has a ton of potential to be a big time dance party jam. its got a catchy make-you-want-to dance hook, repetitive easy to sing lyrics, and even clapping...the clapping at the end, that's my favorite part. if i had any talent and could remix this jam, i'd loop the last ten seconds with the clapping and the 'ga ga ga-ga-ga" over and over. its the best part. i found a few remixes, but nothing i am in love with. i'm hoping a rock solid dance jam is released by some talented deejays. or maybe i'll just have to start making my own shit...

pretty sexy little video here. got to appreciate the artistic talent of the lady they call gaga.

and here's a remix i thought was halfway decent. i need to get the crookers on this...i'm sure young will come through as he always does with an infectious remix for you hipsters.

fyfe dangerfield

2009-11-06T13:01:00.000-08:00

wow. i think young just introduced me to my new favorite band. i'm loving fenech-soler!

now i've gotta keep my game tight, and step it up a notch. thats a big time find young just posted. he's always on point with the dance party and electro jams. good guy to know, that young c. and in response to his recen post, i bring you fyfe dangerfield.

like julian casablancas or fever ray, fyfe is stepping out from behind his group to take on a solo project. his first single, 'when you walk into the room' is a passionite love jam that really highlights his power as a singer/songwriter. you all know i'm a emo motherfucker and well, this song is defintely emo...but its a bigtime jam. another song you can put on your baby dip's mixtape to make her fall in love with you.

happy friday kids.

Fenech-Soler

2009-11-05T13:38:00.000-08:00

I'm calling it right now... Fenech-Soler will be the next big thing. Coming to you from across the pond (obviously), these guys are dance party ready electro glam pop that remind me of Calvin Harris with a harder, less played out edge. Remember this post when all your friends tell you about these guys in 6 months so you can pull the famous "you're JUST hearing about them..." line. The new EP Lies dropped this week and the remix's are already pouring out.

---Lies---

---LA Love---

---The Lion & The Bird---

---Lies (The Phantom's Revenge Remix)---

---The Cult of Romance---

monsters of folk

2009-11-04T12:22:00.000-08:00

conor oberst has long been indie folk/rock music's darling child. i've listened to the guy and his numerous collaborations for about a decade now, and went through a brief bright eyes phase 4 or 5 years ago. however i always felt like i was forcing it with him...oberst always remained that super talented unknown who just hadn't put it all together yet. but when rolling stone named him the best songwriter of 2008 perhaps they were foreshadowing oberst's 2009 success with monsters of folk.

monsters of folk was officially formed in 2004, when oberst and members of other bands - namely my morning jacket's jim james - began jamming together backstage while on tour. but likely due to their respective responsibilities with other bands, mof never put it all together. until now.

their debut release, five years after first coming together, dropped in september 2009 and has appeared as high as #15 on billboards top 200. having been an oberst fan for many years i no longer find myself wanting to love his music, it has come naturally. i have been sitting on this album for a few months now, and honestly am sorry i have not shared it with more people. however, judging by album sales mof is doing just fine without me...

oberst, james, and the other band members all share musical and vocal duties, and such activity keeps the mucic fresh throughout. below are two of my favorite songs from the album, which is definitely buy worthy and will be one of the more highly regarded albums of 2009 for sure. anyone looking for amazing, mellow, meaningful folk music need look no further than the monsters.

MJ Remix

2009-11-03T15:30:00.001-08:00

Halloween was a shit show and this remix is what kept me fist pumping till the sun came up (still recovering). Super electro remix of Michael Jacksons -- Beat it (remix'd by The Blisters Boyz). Get into it.

Nightwaves

2009-11-03T15:11:00.000-08:00

This one is a new personal favorite, the band is Nightwaves and it's an LA collaboration of the guys who run Binary (http://wearebinary.blogspot.com). It's a killer blog and their new group is insane. I really dig the original version of this song but can't find a video version to post so head on over to their website to download.

Here's the Bit Funk Remix to wet your pallet

no ceilings - FREE DOWNLOAD

2009-10-29T15:21:00.001-07:00

a wise man once told me 'i'm not that smart, i just know how to hide my sources'

well, one of my sources for new music has provided a link to the new lil wayne mixtape which technically wasn't supposed to be released until Saturday...and now i'm passing it along to you. i'm not that connected, i just have the right sources. i'm not sure if this was done on purpose, or if lil wayne is fulfilling some kind of community service requirement by providing incredibly fresh free content...but if he is i say set the man free, even though he did freestyle over a black eyed peas beat (i've got a feeling).

i've listened to a handful of the tracks and absolutely love it. weezy flows and freestyles over some of the hottest beats and tracks of the year - including a personal favorite 2009 jam 'ice cream paint job.' his witty remarks (i swear i be the sickes't n*gga/you can ask the nurse) and pop culture relevancy (references to obama, tim tebow, and the jailed t.i.) provide excellent lyrical content over beats like gaga's 'poker face' and

jay-z's 'D.O.A.'

follow this link to download the entire mixtape, kids.

fever ray - seven (twelves remix) and (crookers remix)

2009-10-28T09:08:00.000-07:00

those boys from brazil - the twelves - are at it again. fever ray's seven is such a jam that it now has its own remix album featuring the likes of the crookers and css. but the twelves were noticeably absent from that album...yet that didn't stop them from putting out their own remix. the one thing i really appreciate about the twelves version is that it keeps most of the original song in tact. i love the disco dance hall beat, which you can almost imagine john travolta doing a little saturday night fever dance number to and almost has a just in time for haloween spooky feel to it. i really like how they've energized the song.

the crookers version, also included below, is more of a crookers track with vocals from seven spliced in, as opposed to a remix of the original song. but i do appreciate what the crookers did, and definitely see it being a track young busts out while mixing tracks and dj'ing one of his late night dance parties.

and as a housekeeping note - we are working on adding an mp3 player to the site so you can stream music and even download tracks. with artist's consent, of course. you should see a little pop out tab on the lower left side of the page. eventually we'll have this running but we need to teach ourselves some computer programming first.

lil wayne - no ceilings mixtape

2009-10-27T13:46:00.000-07:00

lil wayne has been a personal favorite of mine for a long time. when i first heard his joint 'best rapper alive' off of Carter II back in 2005 it was pretty obvious the former hot boys member (new orleans rap crew, along with juvenile, among others) was ready to just absolutely blow up. well, wayne hit it big with carter III last year and the new orleans native is seemingly everywhere these days.

and ya'll know that with fame comes responsibility, and mr. carter is finding his fair share of that these days. first his reproductive ability came into question (or rather, he left no question of such an ability) and now it has become public that wayne will spend most of 2010 in a new york prison after he pleaded guilty to gun charges. first plax, now weezy...it's pretty clear n.y. doesn't mess around with weapons possession.

just last month, on his birthday nonetheless, the 27 year old announced he will be releasing a new mixtape...and up until now all we knew was that it could be expected 'very soon.' well 'very soon' now means October 31 and even though the official release is still days away, as always album leaks have hit the world wide web.

first, check out this freestyle joint off the mixtape titled 'run this town' based off of jay-z's similarly titled track from the jigga man's recent bluprint 3 release....and then check out the no ceilings 'commercial' which is circulating the web promoting the mixtape, and features some behind the scenes shots and studio sessions.

Lil Wayne - Run This Town

YEah YeAh YeaHs

2009-10-22T11:26:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry I have to do this Darkness but your A-Trak remix is weak compared to the Digiraatii remix. Listen for yourself and vote.

drake & miike snow

2009-10-20T21:00:00.000-07:00

i think this qualifies as the first ever marina hipster threesome. we consider our cherries popped now that we can combine three mh favorites into one song. the hood internet did it again and put together a ridiculous mashup of drake's 'forever' with miike snow's 'cult logic.' i was a little disappointed they cut out eminems's verse, as i thought it was the best part of the original...but damn those miike snow kids sure know how to mix a beat. if you haven't picked up their album you are really missing out.

download it for free here

last name ever. first name greatest.

yeah yeah yeah's - heads will roll (a-trak remix)

2009-10-19T12:42:00.000-07:00

the yeah yeah yeah's have been tearing it up this year. with a hit new album they are are all over the radio and festival lineups around the world. they even appear on the new where the wild things are soundtrack. karen o. is the new maja ivarsson.

a-trak, of kanye west tour fame, just posted this ridiculous yeah yeah yeah's remix to his blog and it is everywhere on the internets. for good reason, as it is probably the next big dance party jam. it was about time for 'sexy bitch' to move over anyway.... thanks for the memories, david guetta.

mike posner

2009-10-14T19:36:00.000-07:00

its dudes like mike posner that make me wonder what the hell i'm doing with my life. mike began making beats at 13 years old and now, at the ripe old age of 21, he is finishing his senior year at duke university while simultaneously touring the country to promote his music - opening for acts like akon. so far he has collaborated with artists like kid cudi, wale and 3oh!3. posner's first mixtape, 'a matter of time' dropped earlier this year and his second, 'one foot out the door' is due out october 29th.

if you aren't heading out to treasure island music festival this saturday i highly suggest catching mike at 330 ritch. even if you are at t.i there is a pretty solid chance you can hop across the bay bridge after mgmt locks up day 1 to catch his show. i'd say there's about a 100% chance mike blows up and wont need his duke university degree, let alone play at such intimate venues like 330 ritch much more.

oh, and check out his remix to that soulja boy jam 'kiss me through the phone'

black&blue / miley&biggie

2009-10-13T10:18:00.000-07:00

soooo if anyone gives a shit, actual work has gotten in the way of my music discovery and blogging lately, hence the sustained absence.

well now that i'm back at it i see miike snow has released my favorite song off their album, and easily one of my favorite songs of the year - 'black & blue' as their new single. this means two things: once again i'm ahead of the music trends and it's getting remixed by every tom, dick and douche with a macbook pro. first, check out the video released for the single, non-remixed version. the tune has great lyrics with an amazing sugar and spice kind of beat which mixes the polar opposite rugged electro synthesizers with soothing piano...in the vid i love how the old dude waking up from a slumber with a beard and clear inner quarrel fits the opening line of 'how long has it been, shall we get into it again?' perfectly.

now for the remixes. if you like a touch of house and trance tiga's remix is nice and getting the most love on the internets...but for my money netsky's is better and my favorite is this one by a couple dudes named jaymo and andy george because it completely tears up the original and spits out a dance party banger. imagine girl talk mixing this in as you bounce with the crowds at treasure island.

and finally, a hawt little jam that's tearing up the hype machine this week, a nice little biggie and miley mashup:

Julian Casablancas

2009-10-12T10:55:00.000-07:00

A little something to get you through your week until Treasure Island this weekend. I bring you Julian Casablancas (of The Strokes) solo project. Enjoy!

Datarock

2009-10-08T15:32:00.000-07:00

Datarock just dropped their new full length album Red and it is hot. They are a Norwegian electro band that is pure fun, probably one of the best times I've had at a concert. They always wear matching jumpsuits, and their new song True Stories is composed entirely of talking heads song titles.... get into it----

And an oldie but a goodie - Fa Fa Fa

Bag Raiders

2009-10-04T17:21:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since my last post and there's no excuse. I bring you bag raiders, two Australian DJ's known for their remix's. I believe I got the Galvatron remix a month ago and it's still in heavy rotation and was definitely brought out this weekend. All I know is I'm starting to get excited for Treasure Island and my fist pump is looking strong this year...

phoenix - wap remixed!

2009-10-02T12:18:00.000-07:00

remember how those rappers used to throw out those 'rreeeeeee-mix' shouts when they'd remix the hottest rap joints? i used to think it was weak and a lack of creativity...but like the voicebox and the collaboration, maybe the rap kids were on to something, because the remix is the hottest trend in music right now and i'm all about it. there have been some remixes released this year that are absolute fiyah. miles fisher's 'this must be the place' ( a talking heads remix) and starsmith's 'sleepyhead' (passion pit) come to mind...

well get ready for some fantastic news - phoenix's 2009 release which finally has brought this amazing group to the front of the music world, wolfgang amadeous phoenix (wap, for short) has been remixed. and remixed. and remixed. so a couple of savvy record companies have decided to release a 15 track remix cd. wap remixed will be released october 13th and if you just check out the track list below you might cream your pants...

passion pit, animal collective, yacht, devendra banhart....friendly fucking fires??? unreal.

Lisztomania (Alex Metric Remix)
Fences (The Soft Pack Remix)
1901 Bo Flex’d (Passion Pit Remix)
Lasso (2 Door Cinema Club Remix)
Fences (25 Hrs a Day Remix)
1901 (L’aiglon Remix)
Love Like a Sunset (Turzi Remix)
Fences (Boombass Remix)
Lisztomania (A Fight For Love – 25 Hrs a Day Remix)
Fences (Friendly Fires Remix)
Armistice (YACHT Remix)
Girlfriend (Young Fathers Remix)
Fences (Chairlift Remix)
Rome (Neighbours with Devendra Banhart Remix)
Love Like a Sunset (Animal Collective Remix)

four 'fences' remixes? sure, why not...

check out the friendly fires version below, and then animal collective's version of 'love like a sunset'. i love how ff throw in the beat from the juan maclean's 'happy house' in their version. so good.

fun.

2009-10-01T11:59:00.000-07:00

i listen to a lot of music...and it takes a lot to blow my mind. but every once and a while that new sound comes along and my sensory receptors go wild and my endorphins, those happy little endorphins, go nuts. i've found that it takes a special blend of innovation, lyrical genius, complex sounds, and attraction to the singer's voice which often gets me. and if you can tell a story like matt berninger of the national that's an immediate win. twice this year that's happened with new artists - passion pit and empire of the sun. have a taste of the third - fun.

nate ruess is the former lead singer of the format, and new lead singer of fun. nate ruess makes fun. in the same way that thousand island dressing makes an in-n-out burger. i just can't imagine this little outfit working with anyone less powerful at the helm. the first three people i've introduced fun. to have all made the same comparison - 'its a little like queen.' and i get that. but i'll take it one step further. reus is a lot like freddy mercury. and freddy mercury is a rock god.

fun., like a personal favorite of mine tv on the radio, is heavy on the instrumentation. power guitar and brass dominate many of the tracks on their debut album aim and ignite. the listener is also hit with church-choir type vocals and claps as well and it takes a freddy mercury-like voice to not only hang with the sound overload, but overpower it. but fun. also slows it down on some tracks and hits you with some ruess and piano only. listen to 'the gambler' and tell me that's not a song that you're going to put on your new baby dip's mixtape you are giving her to make her fall in love with you. then contrast that with the opener 'be calm' which sounds straight out of a broadway musical. this is song/new artist/album of the year stuff in my mind.

the album is definitely buyworthy and fun. is not a group you just pick a couple of songs and listen to; they are best enjoyed via the full lenghth album. in each song they'll change the pace and jump from power rock to show tune pop within the course of seconds. it is incredible.

below:
'the gambler': probably the best song on the album and the most beauiful you've heard all year.
'at least i'm not as sad (as i used to be)': probably the most likeable to the casual listener.
'be calm': the best example of the musical ride fun. can take you on.

now get a huge taste of fun.

local natives

2009-09-29T21:37:00.000-07:00

i know nothing about local natives other than that they are from the super hipster sliver lake neighborhood in los angeles. but since three friends have recommended them in the last month i figure it was about time i throw 'em up.

what is it about fall and folk music? it's that time of year we realize that summer has, in fact, an end and we all settle back in to our work, school or whatever it is hipsters do all day...folk just feels right about this time of year. at least for me.

animal collective

2009-09-25T14:53:00.001-07:00

i've refused to write about animal collective because i think they may have produced the most overrated album of 2009. and not overrated by mainstream media, but overrated by every hipster blog on the internet - which is infinitely worse. the funny thing about hipster or 'anti-establishment' culture is that by establishing their ways as unique or against the trend...all hipsters, or an anti-establishment society, essentially conforms to themselves and formulates an easily generalized segment of society...exactly what 'they' appear to be so against. its an ironic double standard.

produces strong indie music in addition to animal collective is a funk/soul/electro group out of baltimore maryland. apparently baltimoreolympic swimmers and hit showtime television dramas. animal collective has put out a very solid and highly anticipated album this year.

their 2009 release merriweather post pavilion is the trendy hipster blog on the internets choice for album of the year. it was almost anointed the title last year, in anticipation of the release. sorry, i'll take passion pit or empire of the sun over this any day.

yet their songs 'my girls' and 'summertime clothes' are definitel ysong of the year candidates, even if the album falls short of the hyped expectations. and 'summertime clothes' just might be my favorite video of the year.

mason jennings

2009-09-24T15:21:00.000-07:00

he's got folk like dylan. somewhat akin to the shins, ben harper, jack johnson...yet he remains so far under the radar. and i guarnatee you he likes it that way.

mason jennings is a super talented folk singer songwriter rolling stone magazine recently called “one of the best acoustic-based singer-songwriters you’ve never heard.” i would have to agree...except for the fact that i've been listening to mason since high school.

mason's got that bob dylan appeal which can combine folk and rock, pop culture and politics...in a way that reaches into your soul. he is an artist in the purest form of the word. every song on his new record he sang, recorded, mixed, and played every instrument for. he throws his heart and soul into the music and you can tell. and when you see him live he'll play every instrument from guitar to drums to harmonica to keyboard. he's incredible and easily one of my favorite acts ever.

well he just released a new album, his 8th, which rolling stone calls his best yet. i will be digging into it this weekend, and will likely bring you some tracks, but i wanted to introduce ya'll first. below i've added a couple of mason's older songs i have enjoyed for years.

i guarantee you will fall in love with his tune 'butterfly.'

mason has a unique voice and his music can best be described as folk. it's silly and clever, witty and funny...but most of all genuine. everyone can relate to folk - a genre which touches on matters of the heart...of cultivating relationships and taking chances...of ex lovers an adventures into the unknown...

Chromeo

2009-09-23T16:56:00.000-07:00

So Chromeo just came out with a new single that sounds like it could have been right off of 2007's Fancy Footwork. No need to talk more about Chromeo as we all have distinct memories of summer 2008 when Bona Fide Lovin blew up so go out and grab the free download below and get it ready for the weekend!

http://www.greenlabelsound.com/artists/chromeo/

the national and st. vincent - sleep all summer

2009-09-23T14:48:00.000-07:00

you know how tom brady and gisele are getting ready to bring the most genetically perfect human being into this world in a few months...well, in a similar sort of way matt berninger of the national and annie clark who performs under the moniker st. vincent are as naturally gifted..albeit vocally. you following me? whatever...hey check out that picture of gisele and her sideboob above!

if you've read this blog my love affair for the national is no secret to you. every time i hear berninger's voice the hair on my arms stands up. they play great rock music, have amazing lyrics, and his voice is nothing short of brilliant. clark has an equally fascinating female voice, and while it may not be as striking as someone like regina spektor's, it is beautiful in its own right.

a friend of mine passed this berninger/clark love child along to me today and i've listened to it no less than 16 times. i absolutely love it. thanks kelly!

and if you haven't yet heard of st. vincent, check out her newest single 'actor out of work'

empire of the sun

2009-09-22T19:19:00.000-07:00

empire of the sun is another musical act i have been enjoying for most of 2009, yet i still feel like i'm introducing them to a new friend every week who, in turn, goes absolutely nuts for them. guess that means its blog worthy - not that i don't love empire of the sun...its just, you know..that whole old news element. young posted a ridiculous remix to their jam 'walking on the sun' that was easily one of the top dance songs of the summer and 30 of my closest friends dancing on tables in tahoe at 3 in the morning would likely agree. if you blindly buy one album just because we told you so, make this one it. and if you read my writeup on passion pit's manners that statement alone should tell you how much i think everyone will enjoy this album.

empire of the sun is two dudes from australia who joined forces in 2007 after leaving their original contingents which were pretty successful efforts in their own rights - the sleepy jackson and pnau. check out pnau here if you're bored and enjoy games and rad music. luke steele and nick littlemore have gained such strong praise in the music world that even that jigga man that seems to rule the rap world wanted some of that flavor from down under on his latest album; steele appears on 'what we talkin' about' which is the opening track of blueprint 3.

empire of the sun released their debut album, walking on a dream in australia in late 2008, and stateside on itunes in february 2009. they have released four singles now off the album - 'walking on a dream' 'we are the people' (currently providing beautiful background noise on that colorful vizio television commercial) 'standing on the shore' (featured in the current season of the cw show 90210) and recently released 'without you.'

yet, their best song in my opinion is 'half mast' which i believe is one of the best five songs of 2009. the duo has received comparisons to everyone from mgmt to david bowie to prince, which are all fair - and i even see a little george clinton style psychedelic funk not only in their whimsically colorful music videos and costumes, but in songs like 'delta bay' and 'swordfish hotkiss night.' they add further to their versatility with the love ballad 'without you.'

if you haven't signed up for lala, do it and listen to the album for free below.

Walking On A Dream - Empire Of...

Sissy Wish

2009-09-21T19:28:00.001-07:00

Siri Wålberg (a.k.a. Sissy Wish) is at the forefront of Scandanavian music that is changing pop. Although her new album Beauties Never Die was released in Norway in 2007 it's finally getting it's stateside release tomorrow. She has hints of Karen O and Cyndi Lauper and the albums rich multiple layers deserves a thorough listen through. You can stream the entire album from the below link.

http://www.afternoonrecords.com/stream/sissywish.html

amanda blank

2009-09-18T15:05:00.000-07:00

whats sexier than a hot chick with a potty mouth? come on, sienna miller in factory girl might bet the biggest turn-on in the pantheon of turn-ons. after working with spank rock, ghostface killah, m.i.a and santigold, singer/rapper amanda blank released her first solo album in early august. her first single 'might like you better' might be one of the most remixed tracks on the internets right now. below are a couple of my favorites. and if a chick ever said 'i might like you better if we slept together' well, my mother always told me to be a gentleman and give girls what they want...

this first one is a dance party jam. great build up, then a break down about :40 in which assumes the position for the face melt at 1:00. from then on its fists and daggers in the air...

Frankmusik

2009-09-17T15:50:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you just get the urge to listen to super Poppy music... lately I've had that urge and the only thing filling it is Frankmusik. A British Electropop star, he started out as a beatboxer, then remixing a bunch of artist, and now a solo act. Take a listen for yourself and get your fill of Frankmusik.

In Step ---

3 Little Words ---

Better Off As Two ---

And it wouldn't be the Hipster without a remix...

Confusion Girl (Russ Chimes Remix) ---

xoxo and the 90210

2009-09-17T14:43:00.000-07:00

the MH has been gossip girl'd and 90210'd as empire of the sun, miike snow and matt & kim songs made apperances on one of the two shows this week. hell ya we watch, and you do too. and you know what - these shows spend about as much dough on the music budget as they do on wardrobe so i'm pretty damn proud of our work and taste. i also love how these hit tv shows are implementing quality music into their programs. dozens of artists can thank shows like gossip girl, grey's anatomy and entourage for blowing them up.

these are definitely three of my favorite new artists this year. the aussie duo empire of the sun is gaining some huge steam here in the u.s. and will likely blow up mgmt-style at any moment. they also put together some ridiculous video's which include, but are not limiited to: face paint, headgear, and women in tights dressed as mythical animals. you must peep their vid for 'standing on the shore' below. empire of the sun will be huge - a ton of our friends are already on them and i haven't met a person who doesn't go immediately crazy for them upon hearing their sounds for the first time. their jam 'we are the people' is the soundtrack to the new colorful vizio commercial. get on it before live105 plays them out.

xoxo...hipsters.

miike snow - plastic jungle

empire of the sun - standing on the shore

matt & kim - don't slow down

madonna - revolver (featuring lil wayne)

2009-09-16T15:51:00.000-07:00

weezy and madge have joined forces to create an anthem that will surely tear up both the dancefloor and your little sister's sorority house. knowing their sexual appetites, i'm really hoping they've joined forces to conceive the 2028 grammy award winner for best new artist as well. as you may know, weezy is currently making a run at travis henry's 'man with most children from different mothers' title. so if weezy is expecting his fourth here pretty soon, is it too much to hope madge will shoot out the fifth in nine months? maybe there's already some in the pipeline and by the time madonna pops there will already be 7 or 8 lil's already in circulation. has vegas set a betting line for this? wayne's super talented but that's one ugly mug and he's what, all of 5'5? who knows where this is going really, but i'm giddy...

anywho, this jam is going to be all over the place. the hook is catchy and the beat is super poppy. its got those repetitive lyrics that every female will be dying to repeat after seven dirty martini's. its a little slow paced for my liking, but unlike 12 lil wayne's and wanda's, maybe a crookers remix isn't too much to ask for. weezy's verse is gold and really makes the song stand out from a track that would otherwise just sound like a generic britney spears joint. check it out for yourself...

miike snow

2009-09-15T15:26:00.000-07:00

i've been listening to this swedish band miike snow for the better part of six months or so, and have passed on blogging about them because, well, it's just seemed like old news. well a buddy of mine reminded me that i'm so fucking forward thinking and hip that there's probably a lot of people out there who haven't heard of miike snow yet. if there were a sarcasm font it would have been applied to the last sentence as i'm really not that vain...to answer your obvious questions:

1. miike snow is a band and not a person.
2. yes there are supposed to be two i's.
3. despite the two i's and sweedish bloodline, as far as i can tell it is pronounced the same way as mr. tyson's which only contains one i. bummer. mee-kay snow sounds infinitely cooler. mike snow sounds like a baseball player.

two-thirds of miike snow is comprised of bloodshy and avant, a production duo who's probably most famous for slapping britney spears song 'toxic' together, but has also worked with some other chicks named madonna and kylie too. miike snow is playing with jack peñate (see previous post on him by young, he rocks) on october 3 in san francisco at bottom of the hill. might want to be at that one...

their song 'animal' below is definitely their most popular, but the entire album is pretty darn good. if you'd rather spend four itunes dollars instead of ten, purchase 'black & blue' 'song for no one' and 'silvia' as well.

The Virgins

2009-09-14T17:48:00.001-07:00

I've been rocking out to this remix all weekend and thought that it was only appropriate to post it since it is also the season premier of Gossip Girl tonight... I went there and you know you watch it too. Check out the The Twelves remixing The Virgins -- Rich Girls...

Bloc Party

2009-09-11T15:13:00.000-07:00

So I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say Bloc Party is in my top 5 favorite bands, I own every album, EP, and single. Every time I listen to one of their albums it brings back vivid memories... The best obviously being "Banquet" --- fist pumping senior year on the coffee table at 4am...

This post is a little late to the game as the new single was released in July, but I'm really digging it. It's got the OG bloc party sound but they up'd the dance party with the repetitive piano... Check it...

And it wouldn't be Bloc Party if it wasn't remix'd by everyone...

Alex Metric Remix

Tiesto Remix